The invention pertains to a container or cassette for covering an automotive security shade. A security shade or accessory cover apparatus are often provided in automobiles that do not have discreet self contained luggage compartments such as trunks or boots. These shades selectively cover or expose the otherwise open vehicle cargo compartment. Such shades or covers serve as a security curtain to conceal luggage or other objects carried in the rear compartment of a hatchback, station wagon, sport utility vehicle, passenger van, pickup truck or similar type vehicle wherein the contents of such a cargo compartment would otherwise be in plain view.
Various cover or security curtain apparatuses for vehicle cargo compartments known in the art such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,139,231; 4,222,601; 4,502,674; 4,479,677; 4,482,137, for example, all of which are owned by Irvin Automotive Products, Inc. the assignee of the present invention, and the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein. The various cover apparatuses and components disclosed and claimed in these United States patents have performed well and have provided an effective barrier for concealing the contents of a vehicle compartment.
These covers generally comprise a biased roller member suspended behind the rear seat of the vehicle at approximately the height of the rear seat. Typically, the roller member is spring loaded between brackets mounted on, or pockets formed in, the interior side panels of the vehicle, the biasing force of the spring keeping the roller in place, but relatively easily overcome to enable the ready removal or insertion of the roller. A fabric panel is wound upon the roller and can be unwound to cover the luggage compartment, stretched between the roller and the rearward edge of the compartment. When released, the roller member is biased by a motor spring or a torsion spring to rotate to wind the panel back onto the roller. One or more floating end caps may be provided to allow the roller to self-center relative to the sidewalls to ensure centering of the panel and thus efficient covering of the luggage compartment. Changes in vehicle interior designs and configurations, including the recent provision of shoulder harness retention belts for rear seat passengers, necessitated the provision of clearance between the cover apparatus and the rear side of a rear seat assembly, thus creating a gap that must be filled in order to effectively obscure the contents of the compartment from view. This gap also creates an incongruity in the aesthetic appearance of the cover.
There have been a variety of approaches to provide a "gap hiding" roller assembly, most notably the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,776,625 to Lobanoff, et al, owned by the assignee of the present invention, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. Lobanoff provides a cassette assembly held within end caps which are mounted to lateral tabs of mounting brackets, and also provides an enclosure member interconnected to the cassette and/or end caps to define a sub-compartment. Lobanoff also provides a cover member for the sub-compartment pivotally connected along a pivot rod connected between the end caps.
It is the object of the present invention to provide an aesthetically effect, a simple and consistent construction and assembly now required of modern modular automotive assembly, and a greater degree of containment than provided by the existing designs. In particular, it is preferred that the cassette assembly completely enclose the cover roller assembly. It is easier for the vehicle owner to handle a rigid elongated container than a roller assembly of a flexible cover wound into a shaft, thus facilitating installation, removal and storage. Ease of use has become a critical issue to automotive manufacturer, particularly for accessory laden (and high profit) vehicles such as luxury sport utility vehicles. Further, enclosing the roller assembly greatly reduces the risk of items being wound into the roller such as children's fingers or loose articles, thus improving safety and convenience. Further still, enclosing the roller assembly provides a more aesthetic appearance and a fixture that is much easier to maintain. The cassette keeps the cover panel dust free when in the rolled position and also protects the cover panel from spills and the like.
Another prime concern with respect to automotive accessories is simplicity of construction or assembly. As labor costs rise, reduction of the amount of labor becomes even more important. Reduction of assembly labor also reduces the automotive manufacturers' dependance upon the labor force to meet production schedules. Reducing the number of parts also reduces the risk of error in assembly which improves safety.
The appearance of the entire assembly is critical, as automobile purchasers have grown to expect a "polished" consistent appearance throughout the automobile. The color composition and texture of trim should be consistent throughout the vehicle, which requires suppliers of automotive accessories to use utility compatible plastics and upholstery to match the vehicle interior.
It is also desirable to make the best use of the vehicle cargo space and to provide as much storage as possible and to assist the vehicle owner to most conveniently and securely stow cargo in the luggage compartment. Therefore, it is preferred to provide a readily accessible cargo or package tray readily accessible from the rear seat and having a tray cover concealing the contents from view while preserving the congruity of the appearance of the vehicle interior. It is also preferred to provide brackets for securing articles within the luggage compartment. This is particularly pertinent with respect to flimsy plastic bags with cut-out handle openings such as those commonly distributed at grocery stores. The heavy gauge paper grocery bags that were predominate in early years would provide some structural support for their contents, allowing a vehicle owner to arrange the paper bags within the luggage compartment relatively securely. In contrast, the flimsy plastic bags offer little if any support and typically disgorge their contents even under moderate driving conditions. Hooks or brackets allow the vehicle owner to hang bags such as the plastic grocery bags to secure them in the luggage compartment and prevent their contents from spilling into the luggage compartment. The hooks or bracket also provide anchoring points for securing various cargo such as with twine or elastic cords (bungee cords).
Therefore, the present invention seeks to provide a vehicle compartment cover apparatus that is relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture and install, and that provides a relatively close-fitting barrier or security curtain, while accommodating the provision of rear seat shoulder harnesses or other vehicle interior design parameters requiring clearance adjacent a rear seat assembly or other vehicle interior components, and provides an additional storage area readily accessible to passengers in the rear seat.
According to the present invention, a cover apparatus for selectively covering or exposing an open vehicle compartment includes a mounting assembly adapted to be interconnected with the vehicle for mounting and supporting the roller apparatus generally adjacent the compartment opening at a longitudinal position generally between the longitudinally-spaced compartment ends. The roller apparatus includes a flexible cover panel interconnected with the mounting assembly and extending laterally across the compartment opening. The cover panel is selectively movable between a longitudinally retracted position and a longitudinally extended position, preferably by way of a roll up mechanism such as that described in the above-mentioned United States patents, with the cover panel extending generally between the mounting assembly and one of the compartment ends when in its extended position. The cover panel is also releasably attachable to the compartment end, or to a hatchback door, in order to releasably retain the cover member in its extended position.